Great Lakes Loons Announce Opening Day Roster

The Great Lakes Loons, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Dodgers, have announced the team’s opening day 2010 roster. This year’s Loons’ team includes five returning players, including four from the 2009 season. Additionally, this year’s team has six players ranked by Baseball America amongst the Dodgers’ Top 30 prospects. Pitchers Justin Miller and Steve Smith and outfielders Jerry Sands and Angelo Songo return to the Loons from last season. Miller also spent 2008 with the Loons. Also returning to the Loons is right-handed pitcher Josh Wall, who was a part of the Loons’ 2007 inaugural season. Right-handed pitcher Allen Webster is the highest ranked prospect on the team, according to Baseball America. He is currently ranked No. 10. Other BA top prospects include pitcher Brett Wallach (No. 20); outfielders Blake Smith (No. 22), Sands (No. 25) and Brian Cavazos-Galvez (No. 26), last season’s Pioneer League MVP; and catcher Gorman Erickson (No. 30). The Loons’ 2010 opening day roster consists of right-handed pitchers Nick Gaudi, Matt Magill, Miller, Joe Paxson, Elisaul Pimental, William Savage, Smith, Luis Vazquez, Wall, Wallach and Webster; right-handed pitchers Jordan Roberts and Andrew Suiter; catchers Erickson and JT Wise; infielders Pedro Guerrero, Chris Jacobs, Christian Lara, Brian Ruggiano, Rafael Ynoa and Austin Yount; and outfielders Cavazos-Galvez, Sands, Smith and Songco. Manager Juan Bustabad, hitting coach Michael Boughton and trainer Zach Hoffman return to their same roles from the 2009 season. Eight-year major league veteran Chuck Crim has been added as the Loons’ pitching coach. Eric Wood will serve as the team’s strength and conditioning coach, and Neil Rosenbloom has been named video coordinator. The Loons begin the 2010 season this Thursday (April 8) on the road against South Bend at 6:30pm. The Loons’ 2010 home opener is Sunday, April 11 at 3:05pm against the Lansing Lugnuts.